Dragon boat racing began more than 2,000 years ago on the rivers of southern China – it’s been in Montana for less than 10 years. The women of the Silver Lining dragon boat racing team, Montana’s first official breast cancer survival team, use the sport to paddle through adversity that cancer creates together. “We paddle to capture the spirit of the dragon, others to conquer the rage of their diagnosis,” team member Celeste Baldwin said. “We paddle for those who are no longer with us, for those who are in remission, who are receiving their first diagnosis or hearing of a recurrence."
Shana Duffalo, left, and Nancy Taylor power their way through a race start on Salmon Lake during a Silver Lining practice the summer of 2019. Some 50 women from the Missoula area who battle cancer find strength and courage in the ancient Chinese sport of dragon boating.
The Silver Lining Foundation has grown to 190 women, many of whom do not participate in dragon boating but use the nonprofit as a resource to help them in their battles with cancer.
Nan Condit holds the boat on the dock as her 20-woman crew readies to leave on a training run at Salmon Lake this summer. Condit founded Silver Lining in 2015 and has ushered it into dragon boat racing in the last three years.
Stephanie Dunaway, left, and Nan Condit share a moment after placing the names of cancer victims Betsy Cohen and Carol Allen on one of the dragon boats. Esther Chessin is also honored on the boat.
Amy Coseo digs in at an August practice on Salmon Lake. The Silver Lining team trained twice a week throughout the summer after buying two boats in British Columbia this spring.
A sports medicine physician in British Columbia turned cancer research on its head in the mid-1990s when he found that the physical activity of dragon boat paddling helped prevent lymphedema, which can result from breast cancer surgery or treatment.
Trish Lingle, left, and Heidi Call share a moment during the traditional rose ceremony at the annual Montana Dragon Boat Festival in Bigfork last weekend. Survivors threw pink roses into the water from their boats to remember those they lost to cancer.
The sun goes down on another training run at Salmon Lake. Before purchasing the boats this year Silver Lining had to caravan up to Somers to train in rental crafts.
Silver Lining's Tima Erickson, right, shared a moment with Rachel DeCuir of Whitefish, the team's assigned drummer, during the Montana Dragon Boat Festival in Bigfork.